Kristofer O Dowd

USC center Kristofer O'Dowd has been named to several preseason All-America and All-Pacific 10 Conference teams. But the senior from Arizona is not paying much attention. "You can't get caught up in that hype because you really haven't done anything yet," O'Dowd said. "So I try to do my best to stay out of the papers and the websites and focus on the season. " O'Dowd, 6 feet 5 and 300 pounds, is hoping for a healthy start. In 2009, O'Dowd suffered a dislocated kneecap during training camp, sat out the season opener against San Jose State and then rushed back in time to play the next week at Ohio State.

USC features a third-year quarterback who passed for 26 touchdowns last season, a top NFL prospect at left tackle, one of college football's most dynamic receivers and a stable of tailbacks including several ranked among the nation's top recruits of the last five years. Yet the Trojans' offense has scored only one touchdown in the second half this season. "We've had glimpses of what we're capable of — mostly in the first half," quarterback Matt Barkley said Wednesday.

On a night when quarterback Matt Barkley struggled to find his rhythm in his biggest showcase to date, USC's offense might have suffered a more long-range setback. Starting center Kristofer O'Dowd , regarded as a linchpin for an experienced line expected to ease the transition of a new quarterback, suffered a dislocated right knee during the first series of a scrimmage Monday night at the Coliseum. O'Dowd, a junior coming off shoulder surgery, went down at the end of a mistake-prone first series on a running play that ended with Joe McK night's fumble.

UCLA and USC players projected to be selected in rounds 2-7 of the NFL draft (April 28-30): UCLA RAHIM MOORE, safety: Best free safety in this draft class. Good range, but needs to get stronger. Projected round: 2. DAVID CARTER, defensive tackle: Performance at the Shrine Game bumped up his stock after a poor season. Projected: 6. KAI FORBATH, kicker: Booted 85 field goals, tying him for first in school history with John Lee. Projected: 6-7. RYAN TAYLOR, center: Showed good versatility, moving to center after playing guard as a junior.

By the time USC center Kristofer O'Dowd arrived at training camp in August, he already had been selected to several preseason All-American teams. But the junior suffered a knee injury in the Trojans' second scrimmage and has struggled to regain his form while starting the last five games. So when the Trojans resume their Pacific 10 Conference schedule on Saturday against Oregon State, O'Dowd will be on the bench. "I haven't played up to my capability or my standards as well as my coaches' standards," O'Dowd said Thursday.

UCLA and USC players projected to be selected in rounds 2-7 of the NFL draft (April 28-30): UCLA RAHIM MOORE, safety: Best free safety in this draft class. Good range, but needs to get stronger. Projected round: 2. DAVID CARTER, defensive tackle: Performance at the Shrine Game bumped up his stock after a poor season. Projected: 6. KAI FORBATH, kicker: Booted 85 field goals, tying him for first in school history with John Lee. Projected: 6-7. RYAN TAYLOR, center: Showed good versatility, moving to center after playing guard as a junior.

Last November, when USC played Notre Dame at a sold-out Coliseum, Kristofer O'Dowd came in from Tucson to join more than 100 high school prospects soaking in the atmosphere of big-time college football. He got to walk around the field before the game and walk through the Coliseum tunnel with players afterward, which left an indelible impression.

No one outright questioned the manhood of the big guys who play along the USC offensive and defensive lines. No one had to. All week long, the guards and tackles and ends chewed over memories of walking off the field after being pushed around in an upset loss at Oregon State. "It's a sickness you get in your gut," offensive guard Jeff Byers said. "It's the worst thing." Saturday night was a different feeling altogether. At the heart of No. 9 USC's 44-10 victory over No.

The final piece of USC's starting lineup fell into place Tuesday when Coach Lane Kiffin announced that Khaled Holmes would start at right guard Thursday against Hawaii. Kiffin made the announcement after the Trojans practiced on campus before departing for Honolulu. Holmes had been the projected starter, but his status for the opener was uncertain because of neck soreness that had forced him to sit out practices last week and limited him Monday. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Holmes, a third-year sophomore, is the brother of former USC tight end Alex Holmes . Holmes, who played in three games last season, will be part of an offensive line that includes senior center Kristofer O'Dowd , junior right tackle Tyron Smith , senior left guard Butch Lewis and sophomore left tackle Matt Kalil . "We'll definitely gel," Holmes said this week.

Is USC tough enough? Throughout the first week of spring practice, new Coach Lane Kiffin never missed a chance to emphasize that toughness and discipline were the watchwords of the new regime. On Saturday, after the Trojans' first practice in pads, Kiffin seemed to take the theme a step further. With the number of available offensive lineman dwindling and other positions such as fullback short-handed because of injuires, Kiffin did not mince words. "I'm concerned to know, could they have kept going?"

USC center Kristofer O'Dowd's 33rd career start will be made in front of hometown fans Saturday night when the Trojans play No. 18 Arizona at Arizona Stadium. O'Dowd, a senior, grew up in Tucson and attended Salpointe Catholic High. He regularly attended Wildcats games and knows several players on Arizona's roster. "It's exciting being able to go in to a place I grew up, pretty much going to games and stuff," O'Dowd said this week. "So it will be a great atmosphere, and I'm excited for it. " O'Dowd was victorious in his last homecoming game.

The final piece of USC's starting lineup fell into place Tuesday when Coach Lane Kiffin announced that Khaled Holmes would start at right guard Thursday against Hawaii. Kiffin made the announcement after the Trojans practiced on campus before departing for Honolulu. Holmes had been the projected starter, but his status for the opener was uncertain because of neck soreness that had forced him to sit out practices last week and limited him Monday. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Holmes, a third-year sophomore, is the brother of former USC tight end Alex Holmes . Holmes, who played in three games last season, will be part of an offensive line that includes senior center Kristofer O'Dowd , junior right tackle Tyron Smith , senior left guard Butch Lewis and sophomore left tackle Matt Kalil . "We'll definitely gel," Holmes said this week.

It took nearly a month and more than 25 practices, but USC on Monday finally achieved a milestone of sorts when its projected starting offensive line finally practiced together for an extended period. The line, and how it will react to game conditions, is one of the Trojans' biggest mysteries heading into Thursday's opener at Hawaii. To stave off injuries, USC conducted full-contact tackling drills only once early in training camp. So offensive linemen have not practiced cut blocking or played at full speed.

USC center Kristofer O'Dowd has been named to several preseason All-America and All-Pacific 10 Conference teams. But the senior from Arizona is not paying much attention. "You can't get caught up in that hype because you really haven't done anything yet," O'Dowd said. "So I try to do my best to stay out of the papers and the websites and focus on the season. " O'Dowd, 6 feet 5 and 300 pounds, is hoping for a healthy start. In 2009, O'Dowd suffered a dislocated kneecap during training camp, sat out the season opener against San Jose State and then rushed back in time to play the next week at Ohio State.

Is USC tough enough? Throughout the first week of spring practice, new Coach Lane Kiffin never missed a chance to emphasize that toughness and discipline were the watchwords of the new regime. On Saturday, after the Trojans' first practice in pads, Kiffin seemed to take the theme a step further. With the number of available offensive lineman dwindling and other positions such as fullback short-handed because of injuires, Kiffin did not mince words. "I'm concerned to know, could they have kept going?"

After finishing the regular season on a down note, USC players sounded Monday as if they'd accepted their status as an Emerald Bowl participant. "A lot of people on the outside are looking at it in a negative way, and probably a couple on the inside too," junior center Kristofer O'Dowd said before a team meeting. "But you have to look at it as being fortunate." USC will play Boston College on Dec. 26 at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The game is a few steps down from the Rose Bowl, but players seemed eager to play together one final time.

USC features a third-year quarterback who passed for 26 touchdowns last season, a top NFL prospect at left tackle, one of college football's most dynamic receivers and a stable of tailbacks including several ranked among the nation's top recruits of the last five years. Yet the Trojans' offense has scored only one touchdown in the second half this season. "We've had glimpses of what we're capable of — mostly in the first half," quarterback Matt Barkley said Wednesday.

A day after USC quarterback Aaron Corp proclaimed himself ready to start the season opener against San Jose State on Sept. 5, Coach Pete Carroll relayed a different message: Not so fast. Corp has not missed a beat in terms of passing efficiency since returning from a leg injury. But Carroll is waiting for the third-year sophomore to prove he can sprint and elude pressure without fear. "That's one part of it I want to see -- that he's confident in his ability to run and escape and all that," Carroll said Wednesday after practice.

By the time USC center Kristofer O'Dowd arrived at training camp in August, he already had been selected to several preseason All-American teams. But the junior suffered a knee injury in the Trojans' second scrimmage and has struggled to regain his form while starting the last five games. So when the Trojans resume their Pacific 10 Conference schedule on Saturday against Oregon State, O'Dowd will be on the bench. "I haven't played up to my capability or my standards as well as my coaches' standards," O'Dowd said Thursday.

It took 30 years, but Pete Carroll finally returned to Ohio Stadium as the third-ranked Trojans prepared for tonight's game against eighth-ranked Ohio State. Carroll was a 28-year-old secondary coach on Earl Bruce 's 1979 Ohio State staff. After the Buckeyes lost to USC in the 1980 Rose Bowl, Carroll left for North Carolina State. So Friday's visit to the Horseshoe for the Trojans' typically playful stadium walk-through stirred memories. Carroll recalled looking out his office window three decades ago and seeing former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes walking across the street.